With its headquarters in Barcelona Caja de Ingenieros, a credit cooperative bank, is a leader in sustainable finance in Spain. The organization created the innovative investment fund “CdE ODS Impact ISR” to invest in companies that contribute toward the fulfilment of selected UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The department Caja Ingenieros Gestión approached Ferdinand Consultants with the question of how to define sustainability criteria for the companies selected to be included in the fund.

Our  team conducted research on  the topics that  are of highest relevance for sustainable business models for  the three selected SDGs:  #4 – education, #6 – water and #9 – infrastructure. Likewise, the study considered topics that influence the perception of stakeholders. Trends were analyzed to identify issues whose strategic  relevance may  change  in  the  future. Based  on  this research, selection  criteria and  key  performance  indicators were defined for  the CdE ODS Impact ISR.   The new criteria  allow asset managers at  Caja de Ingenieros Gestión to have a more selective investment process, thus contributing effectively to the SDGs. 

In his role as tender agent, Niels Ferdinand supports KfW and its Project Executing Agencies in finding the right partners to implement projects in developing economies. His engagement includes developing tender documents, communicating  with tenderers and supporting the selection of consultancy firms that best fit project requirements.  

Niels´ primary focus work with KfW is on renewable energy projects in Asia. 

Our team was mandated to develop a business plan for an innovative bottom-of-the-pyramid project, allowing small scale aquaculture farmers to increase their revenues and improve the sustainability impacts of the shrimp sector in developing economies.

Our team was commissioned by Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) to conduct a study on current financing practices and lessons learned in photovoltaic (PV) projects in India and Indonesia. We emphasized criteria that entailed the use of service of the Quality Infrastructure, including metrology, testing, standardization, certification, inspection and accreditation.

The study included desk research as well as interviews with relevant international and local stakeholders in India and Indonesia.

The results of the study and the recommendations developed by our team were presented in a stakeholder roundtable in India in March 2016 and used as input for the Host-Country Seminar “Promoting Renewable Energies in Asia – the Quality Challenge” held during the Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Frankfurt, Germany.

Since 2013, Niels Ferdinand has been advising PTB on its project “Strengthening Quality Infrastructure for the solar industry” in India. As the key international consultant, he has been responsible for the project design definition of the main project components, together with PTB´s project coordinator. Niels continues to advise PTB  on the project strategies and facilitates ongoing contact with the project partners and stakeholders.

Picture: PTB

The project has achieved an improvement of the Quality Infrastructure services available to the photovoltaic sector.
Among them:

• Laboratories have improved their services on module testing and solar cell calibration.  
• International standards were adopted to the Indian standards system, making them available to the sector.  
• There is increased awareness of the importance on quality assurance in the Indian PV sector.  
• Finally, the project team has worked with financial institutions on the development of quality assurance mechanisms for Solar PV Projects – enabling an important leveraging effect.